Review by Booklist Review
From the blare of a fire alarm interrupting a spelling lesson to the strange thrill of seeing your teacher at the grocery store, the school-centered poetry in this collection is at its best when it captures children's memorable moments, large and small. Similar in subject and concept to its companion volume, Winters' Did You See What I Saw? (1996), the book traces events and experiences through one school year (and a little beyond). The first poem captures the chaotic bustle at home as children leave for the first day of school, while the last one expresses the pleasure of summer evenings enjoyed outdoors. Most of the 35 short poems are rhyming, rhythmic verses written from a child's point of view. Closely aligned with the tone of the verse, the winsome artwork greatly enhances the book's appeal. Portraying a diverse community, Barton uses digital tools with finesse to create illustrations with a soft-edged, lively look and a buoyant spirit. A pleasant addition to poetry collections in school and public libraries.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
More than 20 years after Did You See What I Saw?, Winters returns with another collection of school-themed poetry: 35 light, energetic poems about catching the bus, being the new kid, lost permission slips, and memorable school-day moments, all accompanied by Barton's airy images of multiracial students. "Out in the sunshine/ we march in a line,/ leaving all of those words behind./ Perfect timing!" reads an entry about the excitement of a fire drill. Elsewhere, two students are shocked to see their teacher at the grocery store ("There she is/ by the soup cans"), and several poems highlight the ups and downs of learning. Winters covers the gamut of school-year emotions, recognizing that school encompasses much more than what's on the lesson plan. Ages 5-6. Illustrator's agent: Christina Tugeau, Christina A. Tugeau Artist Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-This insubstantial collection of 35 poems covers a wide variety of typical school-related topics, including tests, school subjects, friends, holidays, school buses, teachers, snow days, and various milestones throughout the school year. While a handful of poems offer memorable use of figurative language, notably "The Colors of Words" and "Recess," the collection as a whole is largely uninspired. Despite being intended for "those in the youngest grades," the poems lack strong, consistent use of rhythm or rhyme and fail to create fresh, exciting, or striking imagery. Created digitally, Barton's warm and animated illustrations are more noteworthy than the text and cheerfully bring a racially diverse population of students to life. VERDICT Serviceable for collections in need of school-themed poems or poetry for very young students; otherwise, readers are likely better served elsewhere.-Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Elkins Park, PA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Thirty-five poems cover the school year from Bus Stop to Sing a Song of Summer, with a fire drill, a snow day, April Fools Day, and Earth Day in between. Theres one about the excitement of spotting your teacher in the grocery store, and even the dreaded lice experience: My head feels itchy, / switchy, twitchy. / BUGS are living there! Winterss poems are short, almost all fitting on one page with ?lots of white space, and she playfully uses punctuation and capitalization ?for emphasis and to create pauses. Mostly upbeat and funny, these reflect lots of everyday experiences, and one poem requires participation: The ?opposite of weak is / The opposite of right is Bartons digital pictures feature exuberant and active children who seem to be around first grade, with a range of skin colors and ethnicities ?(though not a range of heights or body types). She shows the children interacting, and makes clear that their relationships with one another and with the teachers are part of what school is about. Words and pictures work together to reinforce meaning, so this is a fine choice for new readers as well as children who are anxiously anticipating school. susan dove lempke (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Winters follows up her debut poetry book (Did You See What I Saw?, 1996) with another collection of poems about school.The 35 poems run the gamut from the first day of school to the first day of summer and are written from all sorts of perspectives, including those of a school, a bus, the new kid, and an earthworm. (That last poem may have readers scratching their heads as to how it fits, but the illustration of earthworms tunneling below a farmer on a tractor is quite fabulous.) Kids will find lots that is familiar here: a fire drill, the awkward thrill of spotting a teacher outside of school, a friend moving away, permission slips, academic subjects, a snow day, the 100th day of school, tests, and lice, among others (though absent are any poems about school lunches). The forms of the poems also vary. Some are free verse; others rhyme, though the rhymes and rhythm are occasionally weak ("guess" with "tests"). Barton's digital illustrations have a watercolor look, with soft edges and colors. She focuses largely on the people, her vignettes filled with diverse students and teachers engaged with each other. Though the poems of Bruce Lansky and Jack Prelutsky remain the gold standard in terms of school poems, these do present some different topics and viewpoints. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
